End-gate.



1. F. DERKSEN.

END GATE. I APPLICATION FlLED' MAY 1,1919 ,3Q36 4@2 Patentedl Dem-30', 1919;

/1 MMQ JACOB F. DERKSEN, 0F GHINOOK, MONTANA.

END-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1919.

Application fi1ed May 7, 1919. Serial No. 295,308.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAcoB F. Dnnnsnn, citizen of the United States, residing at Chinook, in the county of Blaine and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in EndGates, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to an improved end gate for wagons or the like and has as its primary object to provide an arrangement wherein accidental release of the end gate will be prevented.

The invention has as a further object to provide an improved catch for automatically locking the end gate when moved to closed position.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide an end gate catch which may be readily applied to end gates already in use without necessitating material change therein.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved end gate in closed position within a wagon body, the wagon body being conventionally illustrated,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View bringing out the manner in which the improved catch of the end gate is adapted to lock the end gate closed and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view more particularly illustrating the mounting of the catch.

In carrying the invention into effect my improved end gate is formed of swingingly connected sections 10 and 11 respectively, adapted to fit between the sides of a wagon body in the manner suggested in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Fixed at one end to the inner end of the section 11 is a locking arm 12 which, when the end gate is closed, overlaps the joint between said sections seating flat against the outer face of the section 10. The arm 12 is tapered somewhat toward its free end and at its outer portion is formed with a medial longitudinally extending slot 14:. At its lower edge, the outer terminal of the arm is cut away as shown at 16.

Mounted upon the outer end of the arm 12 is a catch designed to automatically lock the end gate closed. This catch includes a housing which, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, forms a continuation of the tapered outer end portion of the arm. The housing is preferably constructed of sheet metal and comprises a rear side plate 17 provided adjacent its inner end with lateral flanges 18 seating against the upper and lower edges of the tapered outer end of the arm and screwed or otherwise secured thereto. In this connection, it will be observed that the lowermost of the flanges 18 terminates at the cut away portion 16 of the arm. Closing the housing at its outer end is a curved end plate 19 which, a its upper end, abuts the uppermost of the flanges 18 while the lower end of said plate terminates in spaced relation to the lowermost of said flanges defining a finger receiving opening 20 at the lower edge of the housing. The end plate is provided with curved side flanges, the innermost of which is riveted or otherwise secured to the rear side plate 17. Closing the housing at its outer side is the front plate 21 of the housin resting at its rear end against the outer ange of the end plate 19 and at its forward end portion against the outer side of the free end of the arm 12, being secured to said arm by spaced screws 22. At its rear end, the front plate carries an arcuate keeper plate 23 which is riveted or otherwise secured to the plate 21 and engages beneath the outermost flange of the end plate for thus rigidly connecting the front plate at its rear end with the end plate. Rigidly connecting the front plate at its forward end with the rear side plate 17 of the housing are tie rods 24. Thus, as will be seen, the outer end portion of the arm 12 is inclosed within the housing and, as particularly brought out in Fig. 3, the slot 14 extends somewhat beyond the inner end of the houslng.

Extending between the front and rear side plates of the housing are spaced guides 25 and 26 respectively. The guide 25 is, as particularly shown in Fig. 3, arranged at the inner end of the housing and extends through the slot while the guide 26 is arranged to abut the outer end edge of the arm, terminating at its lower edge at the cut away portion 16. At their side margins, these guides are formed with lateral flanges 27, the flanges at the inner side margins of said guides being riveted or otherwise secured. to the rear side plate 17 of the housing while the flanges at the outer side margins of the guides receive screws or other suitable fastening devices 28 engaged through the outer side plate 21 for thus rigidly sustaining the guides. Slidablc through the guide 25 is a batch bolt 29 provided with a stem 30 slidably received through the guide 26. Surrounding the stem of said bolt is a helical spring 31 hearing at one end against the bolt head and at its Opposite end against a suitable washer carried by the stem to abut the guide Detachably connected to the outer end or the stem is a lever 32. This lever is preferably formed from a piece of suitable sheet metal and is channel shaped in cross section, being detachably secured to the stem by a pin or other suitable fastening device 33 extending through the side flanges of the lever. At its lower end, the lever projects into the finger receiving opening 20 and preferably terminates flush with the'lower side edges of the front and rear side plates 01'' the housing. In thi connection, it will be noted that the front and rear side plates of the housing are, adjacent the opening 20, formed with laterally bulged portions in order that one=of the fingers may be inserted in said opening at the cut away portion 16 ot the arm 12 and engaged with the lower end of the lever. In order to accommodate the bulged portion on the inner side plate, the section 10 of the end gate is, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, suitably recessed. As will be understood, the spring 31 will normally hold the catch bolt projected and will thus normally clamp the lever 32 against the guide 26, the lever acting to limit the bolt in its outward movement. Mounted upon the section 10 of the end gate to be freely received through the inner end portion of the slot 1 1, is a keeper 34. This keeper is substantially Ll-shaped and the sides thereof are provided with lateral flanges riveted or otherwise secured to said end gate section. The connecting por tion between the sides of the keeper is, as particularly shown in Fig. 2, inclined inwardly toward the outer end of said section in order that the catch bolt 29 may readily ride thereover.

Assuming the end gate to be closed, as shown in the drawings, it will be seen that the catch bolt 29 is engaged beneath the keeper 3% vtor securely locking the end gate so closed. Furthermore, since the lever 32 is not exposed, possibility of accidental actuation of this lever for releasing the catch bolt will be reduced to a minimum while the spring 31 will prevent the catch bolt from being jarred or jolted out of engagement with the keeper. Consequently, accidental release of the end gate will be effectually overcome. However, by engaging the lever 32 at its lower end and swinging said lever rearwardly, the lever will fulcrum at its upper end against the guide 26 and retract the catch bolt from engagement with the keeper. The arm 12 may then be read ily swung outwardly and the end gate displaced from the wagon body. When arranging the end gate in position within the wagon body, 1113 will simply be necessary to properly position the ends of the sections 10 and 11 with respect to the cleats upon the sides of the wagon, in the manner well un derstood, and then swing the arm 12 inwardly when the catch bolt 29 will ride over the keeper 3% and automatically engage therewith for locking the end gate closed.

I accordingly provide a particularly simplc and effective construction for the purpose set forth. In this connection, attention is directed to the fact that the catch of the present invention may be readily connected to end gates of the general type herein illustrated by simply forming the gate with a longitudinal slot at its free end portion for receiving the keeper 30 and catch bolt when the housing may then he slipped on over the outer end of the arm and secured in position. Thus, end gates already in use may be readily equipped with my improved catch. In order to gain access to the interior of the housing it will simply be necessary to displace the two tie rods 24; when the screws 22 and 28 may be removed and the outer side plate 17 of the device taken oil. However, it will be seen that by employing tie rods to hold the outer side plate at one end and by also employing the keeper plate 23 to hold the outer side plate at its opposite end, accidental release of the plate will be avoided.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with an end gate formed of pivotally connected sections, and a locking arm rigidly connected to one of said sections and provided with a slot, of a catch including a housing carried by the free end of said arm, a spring pressed catch bolt slidable within the housing to be received within said slot, an actuating lever mounted within the housing and coacting with said bolt whereby the bolt may be re tracted, and a keeper carried by one of the sections of the end gate and adapted to pro- 7 ject through the slot to be engaged by the catch bolt.

2. The combination with an end gate formed of pivotally connected sections, and a locking arm fixed to one of said sections and provided with a slot, of a catch for said arm including a housing fitting over the free end of the arm, a spring pressed catch bolt mounted within the housing and received within said slot, an actuating lever connected with said bolt and lying within the lines of the housing, said lever being operable for retracting the bolt, and a keeper carried by one of the sections of the end gate and engaged hy'the catch bolt= 3. The combination with an end gate formed of pivotally connected sections and having an arm fiXed to one of said sections and provided with a slot, of a catch for said arm including a housing fitted over the outer end of the arm, guides within the housing received within said slot, a spring pressed catch bolt slidable upon said guides, an actuating lever connected With the bolt and being adapted when actuated to coact with one of the guides for retracting the bolt, and. a keeper carried by one of the sections of the end gate and adapted to project through the slot to be engaged by the catch bolt.

4:. The combination with an end gate formed of pivotally connected sections and having an arm fixed to one of said sections and provided with a slot, of a catch for said arm including a housing fitted over the outer end of the arm, guides within the housing received through said slot, a spring pressed catch bolt slidable upon said guides,

an actuating lever pivotally connected intermediate of its ends with said bolt and normally abutting one of the guides for holding the bolt against outward displacement, the lever being adapted to fulcrum against said guide for retracting the bolt, and a keeper carried by one of the sections of the end gate and adapted to project through the slot to be engaged by the catch bolt.

5. A catch for end gates including a housing adapted to fit over an end gate locking arm, said housing being formed With side plates having spaced guide members extend ing therebetween, a spring pressed catch bolt slidable upon the said guide members, and an actuating lever connected intermediate of its ends with said bolt and adapted when actuated to fulcrum against one of said 40 members for retracting the bolt.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JACOB r. DERKSEN. 14.5. 

